The invention relates to the cosmetics field, particularly to the use of plant extracts in dermo-cosmetics, and its object is the use of certain medicinal herbs from French Guyana for the preparation of cosmetic or dermo-pharmaceutical products for the skin, mucous membrane and/or the epithelium or body appendages (hair, nails etc).
The Creole and Palikur peoples of French Guyana use numerous local plants in their traditional medicine. These plants and their therapeutic use are described particularly in the work entitled: xe2x80x9cPharmacopxc3xa9es traditionelles en Guyane: Crxc3xa9oles. Palikur, Wayapixe2x80x9d by Grenand P., Moretti C. and Jacquemin H., published by Orstom in 1987.
The authors of this invention have however discovered that extracts of certain plants of the above-mentioned type have various biological and biochemical actions linked with very high cutaneous tolerance, which enables them to be used directly in compositions for cosmetic use and particularly in dermo-cosmetics.
The plants chosen by the inventors therefore enable extracts to be obtained, all of which unexpectedly and surprisingly have a stronger anti-radical-type action but also an inhibiting action on tyrosinase (de-pigmenting), on tyrosinase activators (pigmenting), an anti-UVA and anti-UVB action, an action protecting catalase from UVA, and an anti-elastase, anti-collagenase, anti-gylcation and/or lypolytic action (for slimming).
The main object of the invention is therefore to use at least one extract of a plant of a botanical genus belonging to the group formed by Clidemia, Inga, Sabicea, Astrocaryum, Siparuna, Eperua, Byrsonima, Priva, Coutoubea or Goupia as an active ingredient, particularly with an anti-radical action, in the preparation of a cosmetic or dermo-pharmaceutical product for external, topical use on the skin, mucous membrane and/or epithelium or body appendages.
The following particular species may advantageously be selected from the above-mentioned genera:
Clidemia hirta, Clidemia dentata 
Inga bourgoni, Inga pezizifera, Inga alata, Inga alba, Inga capitata, Inga meissneriana 
Sabicea cinerea, Sabicea glabrescens, Sabicera velutina, Sabicea villosa, Sabicea hirsuta 
Eperua falcata 
Byrsonima verbascifolia, Byrsonima crassifolia, Byrsonima chrysophylla, Byrsonima coriacea 
Astrocaryum vulgare, Astrocaryum murumuru, Astrocaryum chambira, Astrocaryum jauari, Astrocaryum macrocalyx 
Priva lappulacea 
Coutoubea spicata, Coutoubea ramosa 
Siparuna guianensis, Siparuna emarginata 
Goupia glabra 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention however, giving extracts with a qualitatively and quantitatively optimised action particularly in respect of the anti-radical-type action, the active ingredient comprises at least one extract of a plant selected from the group formed by Clidemia hirta, Inga bourgoni, Sabicea cinerea, Astrocaryum vulgare, Siparuna guianensis, Eperua falcata, Byrsonima verbascifolia, Priva lappulacea, Coutoubea spicata and Goupia glabra. 
Owing to their many forms of action these extracts are advantageously used alone or combined together or with other active compounds in products designed mainly to control ageing skin, hyper-pigmentation of the skin, patches of pigment, loss of skin elasticity, wrinkles, irritation and inflammation (treatment of sensitive skin types), irritation caused by environmental pollution and/or sunshine and/or for slimming formulae.
The parts of the plants used to prepare and obtain the above-mentioned extracts are chosen from roots, cortices (roots, stalks and/or trunk of plants), leaves and foliated stalks, fruit, grains and/or blossoms.
When the parts of the appropriate plants have been gathered and dried they are subjected to an extraction process. The solvent used may advantageously be selected from the group formed by water, alcohols, ketones, esters, types of ether, chlorine-containing solvents or polyhydric alcohols, or mixtures of at least two of the above-mentioned miscible solvents.
In a special embodiment of the present invention the extract or extracts is/are obtained by an extraction process based on wave radiation, for example microwaves or ultrasound.
The extracts involved in the invention may alternatively be obtained by extraction of supercritical CO2, alone or mixed with a secondary solvent.
In a special embodiment of the present invention the plant extract(s) comprise(s) one or more separated fractions, purified particularly by chromatography and based on one or more extracts of said plants obtained by one of the aforementioned extraction processes.
To illustrate the invention, though without restricting its scope, various processes which can be carried out to prepare the above-mentioned plant extracts will now be described.